WooSox and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Split a Doubleheader at Polar Park
IL Worcester Red Sox

WooSox and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Split a Doubleheader at Polar Park

Published on September 8, 2025 under International League (IL)
Worcester Red Sox News Release


Worcester - The Worcester Red Sox and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre split a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Polar Park. The WooSox rallied for 2 runs in the bottom of the 8th (extra) inning for a walk-off win in the opener, 6-5 as catcher Seby Zavala ripped a line single to left field on a 3-2 pitch with two outs and the bases loaded to score the tying and winning runs. The RailRiders earned the split, blanking the Sox, 5-0 in the nightcap.

Worcester dropped the series to the 1st-place RailRiders (80-54), 4 games to 2, but the split on Sunday enabled the WooSox to remain over the .500 mark on the year at 69-68 and avoid falling below .500 for the first time since July 20.

Game 1 began after a one hour and four-minute rain delay as the WooSox grounds crew and front office staff did their usual yeoman's work in getting the Polar Park playing field in top shape after last night's flooding rains.

LHP Kyle Harrison got the start for Worcester in a planned 1-inning stint to stay ready should Boston need him later this week. Harrison, who last pitched for the WooSox on August 26, would give up 2 hits and 1 run in the 1st thanks to an RBI single by RailRiders CF Spencer Jones. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre would extend their lead to 3-0 in the 2nd on a 2-run HR from Duke Ellis off reliever David Sandlin.

Facing a 3-0 deficit, Worcester's offense got to work in the bottom of the 2nd. DH Nathan Hickey led off the frame by clobbering a curveball over the wall in right center, a 389-foot blast to make it 3-1. Tyler McDonough and Seby Zavala both worked walks, paving the way for Mikey Romero (2 hits) to drive in McDonough with a single to right, reducing the deficit to 3-2.

An inning later, the WooSox would take the lead thanks to Hickey's second long ball of the game and second in as many innings. With Abraham Toro on first, Hickey turned on an inside sinker to drive the ball over the Worcester Wall to make it 4-3 Worcester. For Hickey he has 2 doubles, 2 homers, and 7 RBI in his last 4 games and leads the team with 69 RBI on the year.

The flurry of offense prevented a 1-2-3 inning from taking place until the top of the 5th, when WooSox reliever Wyatt Olds (2 IP, 0 R, 2 K) sent Scranton/Wilkes-Barre down in order. Olds got some help from his defense as Kristian Campbell, continuing to play a stellar first base, flashed the leather to make a tremendous catch of a foul pop up against the bullpen side wall.

The RailRiders would knot the score at 4-4 in the 6th on a solo HR by Jeimer Candelario and the game eventually went into extra innings (doubleheader games are scheduled for 7-innings).

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre pushed across a run in the 8th to take the lead, but the WooSox answered in resounding fashion. Down to their final out in the bottom half of the frame, Worcester caught a break as Corey Rosier, celebrating his 26th birthday, was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Then, in true do or die fashion, Seby Zavala roped a single to left on a full count to score two and give Worcester a thrilling, 6-5 walk-off win.

The nightcap was all RailRiders as they jumped on spot starter Isaac Coffey for a run in the 1st inning and three more in the 2nd on a 2-run HR by Andrew Velazquez and an RBI double by Spencer Jones.

Coffey, who was a late replacement for originally-scheduled starter Connelly Early (the lefty Early held out in case Boston needs him at some point), gave up 4 runs over 2-innings to suffer the loss. Bryan Mata (2 IP, 1 R) along with Jacob Webb (2 IP, 0 R), and Alex Hoppe (1 IP, 0 R) all worked in relief.

Kristan Campbell and Abraham Toro both went 2-for-3 to account for the four Worcester hits in Game 2 (all singles).

The WooSox will head out on their final roadtrip of the year tomorrow that will take them to Syracuse this week/weekend for six games vs. the Mets starting Tuesday night at 6:35 pm at NBT Bank Stadium in Central New York. The game can be heard on NASH 98.9 FM, The Pike 100.1 FM, and the rest of the WooSox Radio Network with Jim Cain and Alex Jensen on the call. RHP Jose De Leon (0-7, 7.46) starts for Worcester while Syracuse has not named their starter for Tuesday.

The clubs will play five night games from Tuesday - Saturday (all at 6:35 pm) before the WooSox put a bow on their road schedule with the Sunday series finale at 1:05 pm. Worcester will then be off next Monday, September 15 before returning to action at Polar Park for their final 6-games of the season vs. Rochester from September 16-21. Those six games will once again be knowns as the forever-popular "Fan Appreciation Week/Weekend" at Polar Park. Details on all the events surrounding "Fan Appreciation" will be unveiled leading up to next week.

Check out the Worcester Red Sox Statistics

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International League Stories from September 8, 2025


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